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    <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:36:58 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Immigration</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,103,105#msg-105</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Here is another issue where the two candidates are very close on.  They both seem to break from the norm of acting as if illegal immigration is only the fault of the immigrants - as they recognize the real issues with families being separated, changing the physical security (stop filtering immigrants to dangerous/deadly areas), corporations encouraging immigration (although neither seem to address the poor economic situations American corporations are creating that result in immigration), and massive changes in immigration policies.

I'd be very interested to hear what others here think of both candidate's platforms on this issue, as I do not pretend to be as knowledgeable on this issue as I know many of you are - so please, post your thoughts!]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,103,105#msg-105</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:36:58 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Immigration</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,103,104#msg-104</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/immigration/

“The time to fix our broken immigration system is now… We need stronger enforcement on the border and at the workplace… But for reform to work, we also must respond to what pulls people to America… Where we can reunite families, we should. Where we can bring in more foreign-born workers with the skills our economy needs, we should”
— Barack Obama, Statement on U.S. Senate Floor, May 23, 2007


The Problem

Undocumented population is exploding: The number of undocumented immigrants in the country has increased more than 40 percent since 2000. Every year, more than a half-million people come illegally or illegally overstay their visas.

Immigration bureaucracy is broken: The immigration bureaucracy is broken and overwhelmed, forcing legal immigrants to wait years for applications.

Immigration raids are ineffective: Despite a sevenfold increase in recent years, immigration raids only netted 3,600 arrests in 2006 and have placed all the burdens of a broken system onto immigrant families.
Barack Obama's Plan

Create Secure Borders
Obama wants to preserve the integrity of our borders. He supports additional personnel, infrastructure and technology on the border and at our ports of entry.

Improve Our Immigration System
Obama believes we must fix the dysfunctional immigration bureaucracy and increase the number of legal immigrants to keep families together and meet the demand for jobs that employers cannot fill.

Remove Incentives to Enter Illegally
Obama will remove incentives to enter the country illegally by cracking down on employers who hire undocumented immigrants.

Bring People Out of the Shadows
Obama supports a system that allows undocumented immigrants who are in good standing to pay a fine, learn English, and go to the back of the line for the opportunity to become citizens.

Work with Mexico
Obama believes we need to do more to promote economic development in Mexico to decrease illegal immigration.


Barack Obama's Record

Crack Down on Employers: Obama championed a proposal to create a system so employers can verify that their employees are legally eligible to work in the U.S.

Fix the Bureaucracy: Obama joined Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-IL) to introduce the Citizenship Promotion Act to ensure that immigration application fees are both reasonable and fair. Obama also introduced legislation that passed the Senate to improve the speed and accuracy of FBI background checks.
Respect Families: Obama introduced amendments to put greater emphasis on keeping immigrant families together.

Read More: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/ImmigrationFactSheet.pdf]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,103,104#msg-104</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:26:10 -0400</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Presidential Issues: Immigration</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,103,103#msg-103</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/68db8157-d301-4e22-baf7-a70dd8416efa.htm

&quot;As you know, I and many other colleagues twice attempted to pass comprehensive immigration legislation to fix our broken borders; ensure respect for the laws of this country; recognize the important economic contribution of immigrant laborers; apprehend those who came here illegally to commit crimes; and deal practically and humanely with those who came here, as my distant ancestors did, to build a better, safer life for their families, without excusing the fact they came here illegally or granting them privileges before those who have been waiting their turn outside the country. Many Americans did not believe us when we said we would secure our borders, and so we failed in our efforts. I don't want to fail again to achieve comprehensive immigration reform. We must prove we have the resources to secure our borders and use them, while respecting the dignity and rights of citizens and legal residents of the United States. When we have achieved our border security goal, we must enact and implement the other parts of practical, fair and necessary immigration policy. We have economic and humanitarian responsibilities as well, and they require no less dedication from us in meeting them.&quot;

- John McCain

John McCain believes America's immigration system is broken. He is committed to a two-step process to reform.

Securing Our Borders First. John McCain's top immigration priority is to finish securing our borders in an expedited manner. Governors of border states will be required to certify that the border is secure. Steps to border security include:
Setting clear guidelines and objectives for securing the border through physical and virtual barriers.

Ensuring that adequate funding is provided for resources on the ground, but also training facilities, support staff and the deployment of technologies.

Dedicating funding to US Attorney’s offices in border states.

Implementing sound policies for contracting Department of Homeland Security software and infrastructure.  

Deploy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles and other aircraft where needed and appropriate in the border region. 

Continue implementation of the US-VISIT comprehensive visitor security program.
Comprehensive Immigration Initiatives for a Secure Nation.  Once the borders are secure, John McCain will:

Prosecute “Bad-Actor” Employers.  John McCain will implement a secure, accurate, and reliable electronic employment verification system to ensure that individuals are screened for work eligibility in a real-time fashion.  John McCain will use this new system in conjunction with other Department of Homeland Security resources to identify and aggressively prosecute employers that continue to hire illegal immigrants.  The Electronic Employment Verification System will:

Establish a user-friendly system employing a limited set of secure documents that contain biometric data and are electronically verifiable to check a worker’s identity.

Provide responses to employer inquiries in a prompt and timely manner to provide both the employer and employee security in their hiring decisions.

Update and ensure the accuracy of current databases of government agencies that play a role in employment verification.    

Protect the identities of each employee being screened and allow both employer and employee adequate time and opportunity to correct possible errors with any information in the system.  

Institute targeted auditing by Department of Labor in order to weed out employers abusing the system.
Meet America’s Labor Needs.  John McCain will implement temporary worker programs that will reflect the labor needs of the United States in both the high-tech and low skilled sectors while protecting the employment opportunities for US workers:

Highly Skilled workers:

Ensure high skilled workers trained and educated in the United States have the opportunity to stay and work in the United States upon graduation.

Reform caps for H-1B visa program to rise and fall in response to market conditions.  Reduce bureaucracy and waiting times for workers to arrive in the United States.

Increase available green card numbers to reflect employer and employee demand.

Extend the ability for H-1B visa holders to renew their H-1B status while waiting for their green card number to become available. 

Ensure available and qualified American workers are given adequate and fair opportunities to apply for available positions. 
Low-skilled non-agricultural workers:

Implement a usable, market based system for low-skilled workers to enter the United States in an orderly fashion.

Ensure that the cap rises and falls with market demand to meet the changing needs of the economy.  

Provide for adequate worker protection to guard against employer abuses of temporary workers.   

Protect American workers by designing a program that allows willing and eligible United States workers adequate opportunity to apply for available positions.

Ensure that workers return to their home countries after their temporary period in the United States.

Allow for appropriate visa renewals to assure that both the employer and employee have stability in the workforce.  

Offer a limited number of green cards to reflect the small number of workers that may wish to remain in the United States permanently.
Low-skilled agricultural workers:

Reform the H-2A visa program to provide a non-bureaucratic, adaptable, useable program that is reflective of market needs and protects both the immigrant and US workers. 
Address the Undocumented.  John McCain will address the fact that we have a large number undocumented individuals living in the United States and working in our economy:

All undocumented individuals will be required to enroll in a program to resolve their status.
This program will use background checks to identify criminal aliens for prosecution and deportation.

Assure that the remaining undocumented immigrants learn English, pay back taxes and fines, and pass a citizenship course as part of a path to legal status. 

Guarantee that no person here illegally receives a green card before those that have been legally waiting outside the country.  

Do a proper accounting of all social security numbers used and attained illegally, rectifying the accounts and alerting those whose identity had been compromised. 
The program will also ensure that all undocumented aliens either leave or follow the path to legal residence.  America cannot permit a permanent category of individuals that do not have recognized status – a permanent second class. 
In addition, the program will provide a system that is fair, humane, realistic, and ensures the rights of the individual and families will be protected.

Ensure that families are reunited.

Address in an expedited manner the status of individuals brought here illegally as minors through no will or intention of their own. 
Eliminate the Family Backlog.  John McCain will commit to clearing out the backlog of individuals that are waiting legally outside of the country, some for up to 20 years, for their green card number to become available.]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,103,103#msg-103</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 05 Aug 2008 11:24:56 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Energy</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,99,101#msg-101</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[This is one area where I feel comfortable with both candidates.  Both have aggressive plans, and address all the major sub-issues (I like that Obama's plan is slightly more aggressive, but believe this to be a miniscule difference).

I have only one issue with McCain's plan, though - and that comes in the area of expanding drilling of oil in the US.  I am of the opinion that this is wasted money.  In theory, this would provide an &quot;instant&quot; relief on the average American when it comes to oil prices - but in practice this will not be the case.  Let's take the oil in ANWR, for instance - and while I recognize that ANWR is not all of the oil being talked about, it can provide good estimates to the oil yield and timelines.

In 2004, the Energy Information Administration, or EIA, said that if Congress gave the go-ahead to pump oil from Alaska’s Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, the crude could begin flowing by 2013 and reach a peak of 876,000 barrels a day by 2025.  So, we're talking about dates that now look like 2017 for the oil to start flowing, and 2029 for it to meet it's peak production.  And how much of an impact will those 876,000 barrels per day have on America's oil usage (if it occurred today)?  It would lower our foreign dependence from 70% to 66%.  In 2004, the EIA said this would reduce the price of a barrel of oil by 30-50 cents - when the cost of a barrel was $27 a barrel.  That cost now is $145 a barrel, showing 30-50 cents to be hardly a dent in that cost.

Now, while in theory opening up 5 areas the size of ANWR would result in a 20% lowering of our foreign dependence - if we are moving towards solutions to lower our dependence on oil entirely (cleaner and more cost efficient fuels, vehicles with better gas mileage - amongst other ideas) as both Obama and McCain's plans call for - why are we putting money into something that won't have any effect for 9 more years, and won't reach it's peak for 21 years?  That seems like money that could be spent towards developing these better fuels and cars.  McCain seems to be speaking out of both sides of his mouth on this issue (especially since not too long ago, he was against drilling in the areas he is now promoting drilling in).]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,99,101#msg-101</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 09:16:23 -0400</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Energy</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,99,100#msg-100</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/energy/

The Problem

Foreign Oil: America's 20-million-barrel-a-day oil habit costs our economy $1.4 billion a day, and $500 billion in 2006 alone. Every single hour, we spend $41 million on foreign oil.

Climate Change: As a result of climate change, glaciers are melting faster; the polar ice caps are shrinking; trees are blooming earlier; more people are dying in heat waves; species are migrating, and eventually many will become extinct.
Barack Obama's Plan

Reduce Carbon Emissions 80 Percent by 2050
Cap and Trade: Obama supports implementation of a market-based cap-and-trade system to reduce carbon emissions by the amount scientists say is necessary: 80 percent below 1990 levels by 2050. Obama's cap-and-trade system will require all pollution credits to be auctioned. A 100 percent auction ensures that all polluters pay for every ton of emissions they release, rather than giving these emission rights away to coal and oil companies. Some of the revenue generated by auctioning allowances will be used to support the development of clean energy, to invest in energy efficiency improvements, and to address transition costs, including helping American workers affected by this economic transition.
Confront Deforestation and Promote Carbon Sequestration: Obama will develop domestic incentives that reward forest owners, farmers, and ranchers when they plant trees, restore grasslands, or undertake farming practices that capture carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

Invest in a Clean Energy Future
Invest $150 Billion over 10 Years in Clean Energy: Obama will invest $150 billion over 10 years to advance the next generation of biofuels and fuel infrastructure, accelerate the commercialization of plug-in hybrids, promote development of commercial-scale renewable energy, invest in low-emissions coal plants, and begin the transition to a new digital electricity grid. A principal focus of this fund will be devoted to ensuring that technologies that are developed in the U.S. are rapidly commercialized in the U.S. and deployed around the globe.

Double Energy Research and Development Funding: Obama will double science and research funding for clean energy projects including those that make use of our biomass, solar and wind resources.

Invest in a Skilled Clean Technologies Workforce: Obama will use proceeds from the cap-and-trade auction program to invest in job training and transition programs to help workers and industries adapt to clean technology development and production. Obama will also create an energy-focused Green Jobs Corps to connect disconnected and disadvantaged youth with job skills for a high-growth industry.

Convert our Manufacturing Centers into Clean Technology Leaders: Obama will establish a federal investment program to help manufacturing centers modernize and Americans learn the new skills they need to produce green products.

Clean Technologies Deployment Venture Capital Fund: Obama will create a Clean Technologies Venture Capital Fund to fill a critical gap in U.S. technology development. Obama will invest $10 billion per year into this fund for five years. The fund will partner with existing investment funds and our National Laboratories to ensure that promising technologies move beyond the lab and are commercialized in the U.S Require 25 Percent of Renewable Electricity by 2025: Obama will establish a 25 percent federal Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) to require that 25 percent of electricity consumed in the U.S. is derived from clean, sustainable energy sources, like solar, wind and geothermal by 2025.

Develop and Deploy Clean Coal Technology: Obama will significantly increase the resources devoted to the commercialization and deployment of low-carbon coal technologies. Obama will consider whatever policy tools are necessary, including standards that ban new traditional coal facilities, to ensure that we move quickly to commercialize and deploy low carbon coal technology.

Support Next Generation Biofuels
Deploy Cellulosic Ethanol: Obama will invest federal resources, including tax incentives, cash prizes and government contracts into developing the most promising technologies with the goal of getting the first two billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol into the system by 2013.

Expand Locally-Owned Biofuel Refineries: Less than 10 percent of new ethanol production today is from farmer-owned refineries. New ethanol refineries help jumpstart rural economies. Obama will create a number of incentives for local communities to invest in their biofuels refineries.

Establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard: Barack Obama will establish a National Low Carbon Fuel Standard to speed the introduction of low-carbon non-petroleum fuels. The standard requires fuels suppliers to reduce the carbon their fuel emits by ten percent by 2020.

Increase Renewable Fuel Standard: Obama will require 36 billion gallons of renewable fuels to be included in the fuel supply by 2022 and will increase that to at least 60 billion gallons of advanced biofuels like cellulosic ethanol by 2030.

Set America on Path to Oil Independence
Obama's plan will reduce oil consumption by at least 35 percent, or 10 million barrels per day, by 2030. This will more than offset the equivalent of the oil we would import from OPEC nations in 2030.

Increase Fuel Economy Standards: Obama will double fuel economy standards within 18 years. His plan will provide retooling tax credits and loan guarantees for domestic auto plants and parts manufacturers, so that they can build new fuel-efficient cars rather than overseas companies. Obama will also invest in advanced vehicle technology such as advanced lightweight materials and new engines.

Improve Energy Efficiency 50 Percent by 2030
Set National Building Efficiency Goals: Barack Obama will establish a goal of making all new buildings carbon neutral, or produce zero emissions, by 2030. He'll also establish a national goal of improving new building efficiency by 50 percent and existing building efficiency by 25 percent over the next decade to help us meet the 2030 goal.

Establish a Grant Program for Early Adopters: Obama will create a competitive grant program to award those states and localities that take the first steps to implement new building codes that prioritize energy efficiency.

Invest in a Digital Smart Grid: Obama will pursue a major investment in our utility grid to enable a tremendous increase in renewable generation and accommodate modern energy requirements, such as reliability, smart metering, and distributed storage

Restore U.S. Leadership on Climate Change
Create New Forum of Largest Greenhouse Gas Emitters: Obama will create a Global Energy Forum — that includes all G-8 members plus Brazil, China, India, Mexico and South Africa –the largest energy consuming nations from both the developed and developing world. The forum would focus exclusively on global energy and environmental issues.

Re-Engage with the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change: The UNFCCC process is the main international forum dedicated to addressing the climate problem and an Obama administration will work constructively within it.


Barack Obama's Record

Renewable Fuels: Obama has worked on numerous efforts in the Senate to increase access to and use of renewable fuels. Obama passed legislation with Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) to give gas stations a tax credit for installing E85 ethanol refueling pumps. The tax credit covers 30 percent of the costs of switching one or more traditional petroleum pumps to E85, which is an 85 percent ethanol/15 percent gasoline blend. Obama also sponsored an amendment that became law providing $40 million for commercialization of a combined flexible fuel vehicle/hybrid car within five years.

CAFE: Obama introduced a bold new plan that brought Republicans and Democrats, CAFE supporters and long-time opponents together in support of legislation that will gradually increase fuel economy standards and offer what the New York Times editorial page called &quot;real as opposed to hypothetical results.&quot;

Read More:
Energy Plan: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnergyFactSheet.pdf
Environment Plan: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/EnvironmentFactSheet.pdf]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,99,100#msg-100</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:39:12 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Presidential Issues: Energy</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,99,99#msg-99</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/17671aa4-2fe8-4008-859f-0ef1468e96f4.htm

Expanding Domestic Oil And Natural Gas Exploration And Production 

John McCain Will Commit Our Country To Expanding Domestic Oil Exploration. The current federal moratorium on drilling in the Outer Continental Shelf stands in the way of energy exploration and production. John McCain believes it is time for the federal government to lift these restrictions and to put our own reserves to use. There is no easier or more direct way to prove to the world that we will no longer be subject to the whims of others than to expand our production capabilities. We have trillions of dollars worth of oil and gas reserves in the U.S. at a time we are exporting hundreds of billions of dollars a year overseas to buy energy. This is the largest transfer of wealth in the history of mankind. We should keep more of our dollars here in the U.S., lessen our foreign dependency, increase our domestic supplies, and reduce our trade deficit - 41% of which is due to oil imports. John McCain proposes to cooperate with the states and the Department of Defense in the decisions to develop these resources. 

John McCain Believes In Promoting And Expanding The Use Of Our Domestic Supplies Of Natural Gas. When people are hurting, and struggling to afford gasoline, food, and other necessities, common sense requires that we draw upon America's own vast reserves of oil and natural gas. Within the United States we have tremendous reserves of natural gas. The Outer Continental Shelf alone contains 77 trillion cubic feet of recoverable natural gas. It is time that we capitalize on these significant resources and build the infrastructure needed to transport this important component of electricity generation and transportation fuel around the country. 


Taking Action Now To Break Our Dependency On Foreign Oil By Reforming Our Transportation Sector 

The Nation Cannot Reduce Its Dependency On Oil Unless We Change How We Power Our Transportation Sector. 

John McCain's Clean Car Challenge. John McCain will issue a Clean Car Challenge to the automakers of America, in the form of a single and substantial tax credit for the consumer based on the reduction of carbon emissions. He will commit a $5,000 tax credit for each and every customer who buys a zero carbon emission t car, encouraging automakers to be first on the market with these cars in order to capitalize on the consumer incentives. For other vehicles, a graduated tax credit will apply so that the lower the carbon emissions, the higher the tax credit. 

John McCain Will Propose A $300 Million Prize To Improve Battery Technology For Full Commercial Development Of Plug-In Hybrid And Fully Electric Automobiles. A $300 million prize should be awarded for the development of a battery package that has the size, capacity, cost and power to leapfrog the commercially available plug-in hybrids or electric cars. That battery should deliver a power source at 30 percent of the current costs. At $300 million, the prize is one dollar for every man, woman and child in this country - and a small price to pay for breaking our dependence on oil. 

John McCain Supports Flex-Fuel Vehicles (FFVs) And Believes They Should Play A Greater Role In Our Transportation Sector. In just three years, Brazil went from new cars sales that were about 5 percent FFVs to over 70 percent of new vehicles that were FFVs. American automakers have committed to make 50 percent of their cars FFVs by 2012. John McCain calls on automakers to make a more rapid and complete switch to FFVs. 

John McCain Believes Alcohol-Based Fuels Hold Great Promise As Both An Alternative To Gasoline And As A Means of Expanding Consumers' Choices. Some choices such as ethanol are on the market right now. The second generation of alcohol-based fuels like cellulosic ethanol, which won't compete with food crops, are showing great potential. 

Today, Isolationist Tariffs And Wasteful Special Interest Subsidies Are Not Moving Us Toward An Energy Solution. We need to level the playing field and eliminate mandates, subsidies, tariffs and price supports that focus exclusively on corn-based ethanol and prevent the development of market-based solutions which would provide us with better options for our fuel needs. 

John McCain Will Effectively Enforce Existing CAFE Standards. John McCain has long supported CAFE standards - the mileage requirements that automobile manufacturers' cars must meet. Some carmakers ignore these standards, pay a small financial penalty, and add it to the price of their cars. John McCain believes that the penalties for not following these standards must be effective enough to compel all carmakers to produce fuel-efficient vehicles. 


Investing In Clean, Alternative Sources Of Energy

John McCain Believes That The U.S. Must Become A Leader In A New International Green Economy. Green jobs and green technology will be vital to our economic future. There is no reason that the U.S. should not be a leader in developing and deploying these new technologies. 

John McCain Will Commit $2 Billion Annually To Advancing Clean Coal Technologies. Coal produces the majority of our electricity today. Some believe that marketing viable clean coal technologies could be over 15 years away. John McCain believes that this is too long to wait, and we need to commit significant federal resources to the science, research and development that advance this critical technology. Once commercialized, the U.S. can then export these technologies to countries like China that are committed to using their coal - creating new American jobs and allowing the U.S. to play a greater role in the international green economy. 

John McCain Will Put His Administration On Track To Construct 45 New Nuclear Power Plants By 2030 With The Ultimate Goal Of Eventually Constructing 100 New Plants. Nuclear power is a proven, zero-emission source of energy, and it is time we recommit to advancing our use of nuclear power. Currently, nuclear power produces 20% of our power, but the U.S. has not started construction on a new nuclear power plant in over 30 years. China, India and Russia have goals of building a combined total of over 100 new plants and we should be able to do the same. It is also critical that the U.S. be able to build the components for these plants and reactors within our country so that we are not dependent on foreign suppliers with long wait times to move forward with our nuclear plans. 

John McCain Will Establish A Permanent Tax Credit Equal To 10 Percent Of Wages Spent On R&amp;D. This reform will simplify the tax code, reward activity in the U.S., and make us more competitive with other countries. A permanent credit will provide an incentive to innovate and remove uncertainty. At a time when our companies need to be more competitive, we need to provide a permanent incentive to innovate, and remove the uncertainty now hanging over businesses as they make R&amp;D investment decisions. 

John McCain Will Encourage The Market For Alternative, Low Carbon Fuels Such As Wind, Hydro And Solar Power. According to the Department of Energy, wind could provide as much as one-fifth of electricity by 2030. The U.S. solar energy industry continued its double-digit annual growth rate in 2006. To develop these and other sources of renewable energy will require that we rationalize the current patchwork of temporary tax credits that provide commercial feasibility. John McCain believes in an even-handed system of tax credits that will remain in place until the market transforms sufficiently to the point where renewable energy no longer merits the taxpayers' dollars. 


Protecting Our Environment And Addressing Climate Change: A Sound Energy Strategy Must Include A Solid Environmental Foundation 

John McCain Proposes A Cap-And-Trade System That Would Set Limits On Greenhouse Gas Emissions While Encouraging The Development Of Low-Cost Compliance Options. A climate cap-and-trade mechanism would set a limit on greenhouse gas emissions and allow entities to buy and sell rights to emit, similar to the successful acid rain trading program of the early 1990s. The key feature of this mechanism is that it allows the market to decide and encourage the lowest-cost compliance options. 

How Does A Cap-And-Trade System Work? A cap-and-trade system harnesses human ingenuity in the pursuit of alternatives to carbon-based fuels. Market participants are allotted total permits equal to the cap on greenhouse gas emissions. If they can invent, improve, or acquire a way to reduce their emissions, they can sell their extra permits for cash. The profit motive will coordinate the efforts of venture capitalists, corporate planners, entrepreneurs, and environmentalists on the common motive of reducing emissions. 

Greenhouse Gas Emission Targets And Timetables: 

2012: Return Emissions To 2005 Levels (18 Percent Above 1990 Levels)
2020: Return Emissions To 1990 Levels (15 Percent Below 2005 Levels) 
2030: 22 Percent Below 1990 Levels (34 Percent Below 2005 Levels) 
2050: 60 Percent Below 1990 Levels (66 Percent Below 2005 Levels)

The Cap-And-Trade System Would Allow For The Gradual Reduction Of Emissions. The cap-and-trade system would encompass electric power, transportation fuels, commercial business, and industrial business - sectors responsible for just under 90 percent of all emissions. Small businesses would be exempt. Initially, participants would be allowed to either make their own GHG reductions or purchase &quot;offsets&quot; - financial instruments representing a reduction, avoidance, or sequestration of greenhouse gas emissions practiced by other activities, such as agriculture - to cover 100 percent of their required reductions. Offsets would only be available through a program dedicated to ensure that all offset GHG emission reductions are real, measured and verifiable. The fraction of GHG emission reductions permitted via offsets would decline over time. 


Promoting Energy Efficiency 

John McCain Will Make Greening The Federal Government A Priority Of His Administration. The federal government is the largest electricity consumer on earth and occupies 3.3 billion square feet of space worldwide. It provides an enormous opportunity to lead by example. By applying a higher efficiency standard to new buildings leased or purchased or retrofitting existing buildings, we can save taxpayers substantial money in energy costs, and move the construction market in the direction of green technology. 

John McCain Will Move The United States Toward Electricity Grid And Metering Improvements To Save Energy. John McCain will work to reduce red tape to allow a serious investment to upgrade our national grid to meet the demands of the 21st century - which will include a capacity to charge the electric cars that will one day fill the roads and highways of America. And to save both money and electrical power for our people and businesses, we will also need to deploy SmartMeter technologies. These new meters give customers a more precise picture of their overall energy consumption, and over time will encourage a more cost-efficient use of power. 


Addressing Speculative Pricing Of Oil 

John McCain Believes We Must Understand The Role Speculation Is Playing In Our Soaring Energy Prices. Congress already has investigations underway to examine this kind of wagering in our energy markets, unrelated to any kind of productive commerce, because it can distort the market, drive prices beyond rational limits, and put the investments and pensions of millions of Americans at risk. John McCain believes that where we find abuses, they need to be swiftly punished. To make sure it never happens again, we must reform the laws and regulations governing the oil futures market, so that they are just as clear and effective as the rules applied to stocks, bonds, and other financial instruments. 

John McCain Does Not Support A Windfall Profits Tax. A windfall profits tax on the oil companies will ultimately result in increasing our dependence on foreign oil and hinder investment in domestic exploration. Jimmy Carter put a windfall profits tax in to place with little to no useful results.]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,99,99#msg-99</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:37:30 -0400</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Education</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,96,98#msg-98</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Could John McCain possibly address this issue less?  Personally, I find fixing the public education system to be the number one issue in our country behind the economy - so it is a large issue for me that McCain has little to say about education reform.  His simple plan to allow parents to be able to choose what school their child goes to has more holes in it than your average slice of swiss cheese.  In South Bend, IN, where the South Bend school system is the only option unless you can afford a private education - what option do students/parents have?  These schools are all tied together in one budget - a budget that is reduced yearly and mishandled to a great degree at both state and local levels.  Do these parents drive an 30-60 minutes each way to drop their children off at an Elkhart school?  Or across state lines to Michigan?  In presenting his plan, McCain shows he has no plan.

Obama, on the other hand, seems to hit many (if not all) of the pertinent issues with our educational system.  His plan makes a push for more educational programs for pre-K children (instead of simple child-care), restructuring of the No Child Left Behind Act (an act, from my experience, most teachers view as a disaster), programs to help retain and compensate teachers better, and ways to make college more affordable for everyone - including the middle class, which is currently being squeezed out of higher education due to escalating costs.  The main criticism will be &quot;where will this money come from, though, more taxes?&quot;.  Yes.  And shouldn't it?  Even as a parent who will have the luxury of sending my children to private school (my wife works for a private school, so our children will be able to attend K-12 for very little money, possibly at no cost - and since I work at ND, they will have their tuition paid for college as well), I will happily pay higher taxes for others to be able to have a better public education.  We continue to do a disservice to our country by putting less focus on education - but for me, I would rather pay more now to have those that will be providing essential services to me in the future (technology, medical, food, etc.) are better educated - in that way, my money will go towards a greater good.  In 1992, a 13 year old girl silenced the United Nations assembly speaking about how our governments continue to ignore the future while focusing on now (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8kQfBvHjac) - and while her focus was not on education, the issue(s) she speaks about still continue in that we ignore the future by not properly focusing on educating those who will be on this earth long after those running the country will.  Obama's plan, while it will require more from the American people in terms of tax money, is head, shoulders, torso, legs, feet, and 6 feet of ground above McCain's lack of a plan, in my opinion - and focuses on the future while McCain continues to be rooted in the present and past.]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,96,98#msg-98</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 09:33:34 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Education</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,96,97#msg-97</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/

The Problem

No Child Left Behind Left the Money Behind: The goal of the law was the right one, but unfulfilled funding promises, inadequate implementation by the Education Department and shortcomings in the design of the law itself have limited its effectiveness and undercut its support. As a result, the law has failed to provide high-quality teachers in every classroom and failed to adequately support and pay those teachers.
Students Left Behind: Six million middle and high school students read significantly below their grade level. A full third of high school graduates do not immediately go on to college. American 15 year olds rank 28th out of 40 countries in mathematics and 19th out of 40 countries in science. Almost 30 percent of students in their first year of college are forced to take remedial science and math classes because they are not prepared.
High Dropout Rate: America has one of the highest dropout rates in the industrialized world. Only 70 percent of U.S. high school students graduate with a diploma. African American and Latino students are significantly less likely to graduate than white students.
Teacher Retention is a Problem: Thirty percent of new teachers leave within their first five years in the profession.
Soaring College Costs: College costs have grown nearly 40 percent in the past five years. The average graduate leaves college with over $19,000 in debt. And between 2001 and 2010, 2 million academically qualified students will not go to college because they cannot afford it. Finally, our complicated maze of tax credits and applications leaves too many students unaware of financial aid available to them.
Barack Obama's Plan

Early Childhood Education
Zero to Five Plan: Obama's comprehensive &quot;Zero to Five&quot; plan will provide critical support to young children and their parents. Unlike other early childhood education plans, Obama's plan places key emphasis at early care and education for infants, which is essential for children to be ready to enter kindergarten. Obama will create Early Learning Challenge Grants to promote state &quot;zero to five&quot; efforts and help states move toward voluntary, universal pre-school.
Expand Early Head Start and Head Start: Obama will quadruple Early Head Start, increase Head Start funding and improve quality for both.
Affordable, High-Quality Child Care: Obama will also provide affordable and high-quality child care to ease the burden on working families.
K-12
Reform No Child Left Behind: Obama will reform NCLB, which starts by funding the law. Obama believes teachers should not be forced to spend the academic year preparing students to fill in bubbles on standardized tests. He will improve the assessments used to track student progress to measure readiness for college and the workplace and improve student learning in a timely, individualized manner. Obama will also improve NCLB's accountability system so that we are supporting schools that need improvement, rather than punishing them.
Make Math and Science Education a National Priority: Obama will recruit math and science degree graduates to the teaching profession and will support efforts to help these teachers learn from professionals in the field. He will also work to ensure that all children have access to a strong science curriculum at all grade levels.
Address the Dropout Crisis: Obama will address the dropout crisis by passing his legislation to provide funding to school districts to invest in intervention strategies in middle school - strategies such as personal academic plans, teaching teams, parent involvement, mentoring, intensive reading and math instruction, and extended learning time.
Expand High-Quality Afterschool Opportunities: Obama will double funding for the main federal support for afterschool programs, the 21st Century Learning Centers program, to serve one million more children.
Expand Summer Learning Opportunities: Obama's &quot;STEP UP&quot; plan addresses the achievement gap by supporting summer learning opportunities for disadvantaged children through partnerships between local schools and community organizations.
Support College Outreach Programs: Obama supports outreach programs like GEAR UP, TRIO and Upward Bound to encourage more young people from low-income families to consider and prepare for college.
Support English Language Learners: Obama supports transitional bilingual education and will help Limited English Proficient students get ahead by holding schools accountable for making sure these students complete school.
Recruit, Prepare, Retain, and Reward America's Teachers
Recruit Teachers: Obama will create new Teacher Service Scholarships that will cover four years of undergraduate or two years of graduate teacher education, including high-quality alternative programs for mid-career recruits in exchange for teaching for at least four years in a high-need field or location.
Prepare Teachers: Obama will require all schools of education to be accredited. He will also create a voluntary national performance assessment so we can be sure that every new educator is trained and ready to walk into the classroom and start teaching effectively. Obama will also create Teacher Residency Programs that will supply 30,000 exceptionally well-prepared recruits to high-need schools.
Retain Teachers: To support our teachers, Obama's plan will expand mentoring programs that pair experienced teachers with new recruits. He will also provide incentives to give teachers paid common planning time so they can collaborate to share best practices.
Reward Teachers: Obama will promote new and innovative ways to increase teacher pay that are developed with teachers, not imposed on them. Districts will be able to design programs that reward accomplished educators who serve as a mentor to new teachers with a salary increase. Districts can reward teachers who work in underserved places like rural areas and inner cities. And if teachers consistently excel in the classroom, that work can be valued and rewarded as well.
Higher Education
Create the American Opportunity Tax Credit: Obama will make college affordable for all Americans by creating a new American Opportunity Tax Credit. This universal and fully refundable credit will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students. Obama will also ensure that the tax credit is available to families at the time of enrollment by using prior year's tax data to deliver the credit when tuition is due.
Simplify the Application Process for Financial Aid: Obama will streamline the financial aid process by eliminating the current federal financial aid application and enabling families to apply simply by checking a box on their tax form, authorizing their tax information to be used, and eliminating the need for a separate application.
Barack Obama's Record

Record of Advocacy: Obama has been a leader on educational issues throughout his career. In the Illinois State Senate, Obama was a leader on early childhood education, helping create the state's Early Learning Council. In the U.S. Senate, Obama has been a leader in working to make college more affordable. His very first bill sought to increase the maximum Pell Grant award to $5,100. As a member of the Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions committee, Obama helped pass legislation to achieve that goal in the recent improvements to the Higher Education Act. Obama has also introduced legislation to create Teacher Residency Programs and to increase federal support for summer learning opportunities.

Read More:
Pre-K to 12 Plan: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/PreK-12EducationFactSheet.pdf
College Affordability Plan: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/CollegeAffordabilityFactSheet.pdf]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,96,97#msg-97</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:50:26 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Politics] Presidential Issues: Education</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,96,96#msg-96</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ce50b5-daa8-4795-b92d-92bd0d985bca.htm

Excellence, Choice, and Competition 
in American Education 

John McCain believes American education must be worthy of the promise we make to our children and ourselves. He understands that we are a nation committed to equal opportunity, and there is no equal opportunity without equal access to excellent education.

Public education should be defined as one in which our public support for a child's education follows that child into the school the parent chooses. The school is charged with the responsibility of educating the child, and must have the resources and management authority to deliver on that responsibility. They must also report to the parents and the public on their progress.

The deplorable status of preparation for our children, particularly in comparison with the rest of the industrialized world, does not allow us the luxury of eliminating options in our educational repertoire. John McCain will fight for the ability of all students to have access to all schools of demonstrated excellence, including their own homes.

No Child Left Behind has focused our attention on the realities of how students perform against a common standard. John McCain believes that we can no longer accept low standards for some students and high standards for others. In this age of honest reporting, we finally see what is happening to students who were previously invisible. While that is progress all its own, it compels us to seek and find solutions to the dismal facts before us.

John McCain believes our schools can and should compete to be the most innovative, flexible and student-centered - not safe havens for the uninspired and unaccountable. He believes we should let them compete for the most effective, character-building teachers, hire them, and reward them.

If a school will not change, the students should be able to change schools. John McCain believes parents should be empowered with school choice to send their children to the school that can best educate them just as many members of Congress do with their own children. He finds it beyond hypocritical that many of those who would refuse to allow public school parents to choose their child's school would never agree to force their own children into a school that did not work or was unsafe. They can make another choice. John McCain believes that is a fundamental and essential right we should honor for all parents.

As president, John McCain will pursue reforms that address the underlying cultural problems in our education system - a system that still seeks to avoid genuine accountability and responsibility for producing well-educated children.

John McCain will place parents and children at the center of the education process, empowering parents by greatly expanding the ability of parents to choose among schools for their children. He believes all federal financial support must be predicated on providing parents the ability to move their children, and the dollars associated with them, from failing schools.]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,96,96#msg-96</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 07 Jul 2008 08:48:35 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Public Policy] Dr. Kevin Johnson Speaks on Immigration</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?24,94,94#msg-94</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[On Wednesday, March 26, 2008, Dr. Kevin Johnson was the guess speaker for the final lecture of the series “A Public Policy Agenda and a New Vision for the Future.” 

Dr. Johnson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies at the University of California at Davis, spoke on his newest book, Opening the Floodgates: Why America Needs to Rethink its Borders and Immigration Laws, at McKenna Hall at the University of Notre Dame.

According to the NYU Press, “Open migration policies deserve fuller analysis, particularly on the eve of a presidential election. Kevin R. Johnson offers an alternative vision of how US borders might be reconfigured, grounded in moral, economic, and policy arguments for open borders. Importantly, liberalizing migration through an open borders policy would recognize that the enforcement of closed borders cannot stifle the strong, perhaps irresistible, economic, social, and political pressures that fuel international migration.”

The series was sponsored by the Institute for Latino Studies and cosponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Graduate School, the College of Arts and Letters, the College of Science, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Program in American Democracy, and the Hesburgh Program in Public Service.]]></description>
      <category>Public Policy</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?24,94,94#msg-94</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:25:23 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Community] South Bend Spring Art Walk</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?10,93,93#msg-93</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[The Institute for Latino Studies joined up with the CircaArts Gallery and the South Bend Regional Museum of Art to celebrate local artists in the 2008 annual Spring Art Walk.

Located in downtown South Bend, the Institute for Latino Studies Crossroads Gallery was one of nine galleries that participated in the 2008 Art Walk. On display at the gallery was the exhibition Journeys of Migration, which explored the theme of journeys, borders, crossings, and settlement. Focusing in particular on the US-Mexico border, Journeys of Migration provided a glimpse into the different historical moments, issues, and debates that have shaped US immigration policy. 
 
During the Art Walk we had a wide range of participants of all ages battling the windy weather to experience the exhibition. College students, parents, and grandparents all viewed the exhibition, while children could be found at the coloring and mask making station.

The Institute for Latino Studies is grateful for being part of this event that reaches out to the community, and we look forward to taking part in the Art Walks to come.]]></description>
      <category>Community</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?10,93,93#msg-93</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 13:24:17 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Health Care</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,90,92#msg-92</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[My main hesitation with both platforms is that reigning in the &quot;battle&quot; between health insurance companies and medical/hospitable groups will not be a simple issue.  This is an industry that had a profit margin of 48% in 2007 (http://www.glennbeck.com/content/articles/article/198/11200/).  Health care premiums have risen 4 times faster than workers' earnings since 2000 (http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml).  This will not be an easy problem to curtail.

With that in mind, McCain's plan holds little for me.  His plan relies almost completely on solving the aforementioned issue.  Obama, on the other hand, provides an answer which would guarantee health care for all Americans (a national health care plan), while still giving those with an employee-based health care plan the choice to keep that plan.  In creating this health care system, it would be in direct competition with private plans (plans that both candidates plan to set minimum standards for) - and thus would help slow (at least) the rapid increase in costs by private companies.

Both platforms include plans to increase competition in the prescription drug market - something direly needed here in America.

Another point that McCain does not equal Obama in is McCain's failure to address the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).  The ADA is an act with two major misgivings: it does not do enough for those with legitimate disabilities, while allowing others to &quot;hang on&quot; to the system long after they should stop receiving support.  This is an act that calls for reform, something McCain seems to be ignoring.

There you go, my $.02.]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,90,92#msg-92</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 11:06:45 -0400</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Health Care</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,90,91#msg-91</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Obama: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/healthcare/

The Problem

Millions of Americans are uninsured or underinsured because of rising medical costs: 47 million Americans — including nearly 9 million children — lack health insurance with no signs of this trend slowing down.
Health care costs are skyrocketing: Health insurance premiums have risen 4 times faster than wages over the past 6 years.
Too little is spent on prevention and public health: The nation faces epidemics of obesity and chronic diseases as well as new threats of pandemic flu and bioterrorism. Yet despite all of this less than 4 cents of every health care dollar is spent on prevention and public health.
Barack Obama's Plan

Quality, Affordable and Portable Coverage for All
Obama's Plan to Cover Uninsured Americans: Obama will make available a new national health plan to all Americans, including the self-employed and small businesses, to buy affordable health coverage that is similar to the plan available to members of Congress. The Obama plan will have the following features:
Guaranteed eligibility. No American will be turned away from any insurance plan because of illness or pre-existing conditions.
Comprehensive benefits. The benefit package will be similar to that offered through Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHBP), the plan members of Congress have. The plan will cover all essential medical services, including preventive, maternity and mental health care.
Affordable premiums, co-pays and deductibles.
Subsidies. Individuals and families who do not qualify for Medicaid or SCHIP but still need financial assistance will receive an income-related federal subsidy to buy into the new public plan or purchase a private health care plan.
Simplified paperwork and reined in health costs.
Easy enrollment. The new public plan will be simple to enroll in and provide ready access to coverage.
Portability and choice. Participants in the new public plan and the National Health Insurance Exchange (see below) will be able to move from job to job without changing or jeopardizing their health care coverage.
Quality and efficiency. Participating insurance companies in the new public program will be required to report data to ensure that standards for quality, health information technology and administration are being met.
National Health Insurance Exchange: The Obama plan will create a National Health Insurance Exchange to help individuals who wish to purchase a private insurance plan. The Exchange will act as a watchdog group and help reform the private insurance market by creating rules and standards for participating insurance plans to ensure fairness and to make individual coverage more affordable and accessible. Insurers would have to issue every applicant a policy, and charge fair and stable premiums that will not depend upon health status. The Exchange will require that all the plans offered are at least as generous as the new public plan and have the same standards for quality and efficiency. The Exchange would evaluate plans and make the differences among the plans, including cost of services, public.
Employer Contribution: Employers that do not offer or make a meaningful contribution to the cost of quality health coverage for their employees will be required to contribute a percentage of payroll toward the costs of the national plan. Small employers that meet certain revenue thresholds will be exempt.
Mandatory Coverage of Children: Obama will require that all children have health care coverage. Obama will expand the number of options for young adults to get coverage, including allowing young people up to age 25 to continue coverage through their parents' plans.
Expansion Of Medicaid and SCHIP: Obama will expand eligibility for the Medicaid and SCHIP programs and ensure that these programs continue to serve their critical safety net function.
Flexibility for State Plans: Due to federal inaction, some states have taken the lead in health care reform. The Obama plan builds on these efforts and does not replace what states are doing. States can continue to experiment, provided they meet the minimum standards of the national plan.
Lower Costs by Modernizing The U.S. Health Care System
Reducing Costs of Catastrophic Illnesses for Employers and Their Employees: Catastrophic health expenditures account for a high percentage of medical expenses for private insurers. The Obama plan would reimburse employer health plans for a portion of the catastrophic costs they incur above a threshold if they guarantee such savings are used to reduce the cost of workers' premiums.
Helping Patients:
Support disease management programs. Seventy five percent of total health care dollars are spent on patients with one or more chronic conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Obama will require that providers that participate in the new public plan, Medicare or the Federal Employee Health Benefits Program (FEHBP) utilize proven disease management programs. This will improve quality of care, give doctors better information and lower costs.
Coordinate and integrate care. Over 133 million Americans have at least one chronic disease and these chronic conditions cost a staggering $1.7 trillion yearly. Obama will support implementation of programs and encourage team care that will improve coordination and integration of care of those with chronic conditions.
Require full transparency about quality and costs. Obama will require hospitals and providers to collect and publicly report measures of health care costs and quality, including data on preventable medical errors, nurse staffing ratios, hospital-acquired infections, and disparities in care. Health plans will also be required to disclose the percentage of premiums that go to patient care as opposed to administrative costs.
Ensuring Providers Deliver Quality Care:
Promote patient safety. Obama will require providers to report preventable medical errors and support hospital and physician practice improvement to prevent future occurrences.
Align incentives for excellence. Both public and private insurers tend to pay providers based on the volume of services provided, rather than the quality or effectiveness of care. Providers who see patients enrolled in the new public plan, the National Health Insurance Exchange, Medicare and FEHBP will be rewarded for achieving performance thresholds on outcome measures.
Comparative effectiveness research. Obama will establish an independent institute to guide reviews and research on comparative effectiveness, so that Americans and their doctors will have the accurate and objective information they need to make the best decisions for their health and well-being.
Tackle disparities in health care. Obama will tackle the root causes of health disparities by addressing differences in access to health coverage and promoting prevention and public health, both of which play a major role in addressing disparities. He will also challenge the medical system to eliminate inequities in health care through quality measurement and reporting, implementation of effective interventions such as patient navigation programs, and diversification of the health workforce.
Insurance reform. Obama will strengthen antitrust laws to prevent insurers from overcharging physicians for their malpractice insurance and will promote new models for addressing errors that improve patient safety, strengthen the doctor-patient relationship and reduce the need for malpractice suits.
Lowering Costs Through Investment in Electronic Health Information Technology Systems: Most medical records are still stored on paper, which makes it hard to coordinate care, measure quality or reduce medical errors and which costs twice as much as electronic claims. Obama will invest $10 billion a year over the next five years to move the U.S. health care system to broad adoption of standards-based electronic health information systems, including electronic health records, and will phase in requirements for full implementation of health IT. Obama will ensure that patients' privacy is protected.
Lowering Costs by Increasing Competition in the Insurance and Drug Markets: The insurance business today is dominated by a small group of large companies that has been gobbling up their rivals. There have been over 400 health care mergers in the last 10 years, and just two companies dominate a full third of the national market. These changes were supposed to make the industry more efficient, but instead premiums have skyrocketed by over 87 percent.
Barack Obama will prevent companies from abusing their monopoly power through unjustified price increases. His plan will force insurers to pay out a reasonable share of their premiums for patient care instead of keeping exorbitant amounts for profits and administration. His new National Health Exchange will help increase competition by insurers.
Lower prescription drug costs. The second-fastest growing type of health expenses is prescription drugs. Pharmaceutical companies are selling the exact same drugs in Europe and Canada but charging Americans more than double the price. Obama will allow Americans to buy their medicines from other developed countries if the drugs are safe and prices are lower outside the U.S. Obama will also repeal the ban that prevents the government from negotiating with drug companies, which could result in savings as high as $30 billion. Finally, Obama will work to increase the use of generic drugs in Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHBP and prohibit big name drug companies from keeping generics out of markets.
Fight for New Initiatives
Advance the Biomedical Research Field: As a result of biomedical research the prevention, early detection and treatment of diseases such as cancer and heart disease is better today than any other time in history. Barack Obama has consistently supported funding for the national institutes of health and the national science foundation. Obama strongly supports investments in biomedical research, as well as medical education and training in health-related fields, because it provides the foundation for new therapies and diagnostics. Obama has been a champion of research in cancer, mental health, health disparities, global health, women and children's health, and veterans' health. As president, Obama will strengthen funding for biomedical research, and better improve the efficiency of that research by improving coordination both within government and across government/private/non-profit partnerships. An Obama administration will ensure that we translate scientific progress into improved approaches to disease prevention, early detection and therapy that is available for all Americans.
Fight AIDS Worldwide. There are 40 million people across the planet infected with HIV/AIDS. As president, Obama will continue to be a global leader in the fight against AIDS. Obama believes in working across party lines to combat this epidemic and recently joined Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) at a large California evangelical church to promote greater investment in the global AIDS battle.
Support Americans with Disabilities: As a former civil rights lawyer, Barack Obama knows firsthand the importance of strong protections for minority communities in our society. Obama is committed to strengthening and better enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) so that future generations of Americans with disabilities have equal rights and opportunities. Obama believes we must restore the original legislative intent of the ADA in the wake of court decisions that have restricted the interpretation of this landmark legislation. 

Barack Obama is also committed to ensuring that disabled Americans receive Medicaid and Medicare benefits in a low-cost, effective and timely manner. Recognizing that many individuals with disabilities rely on Medicare, Obama worked with Senator Ken Salazar (D-CO) to urge the department of health and human services to provide clear and reliable information on the Medicare prescription drug benefit and to ensure that the Medicare recipients were protected from fraudulent claims by marketers and drug plan agents.
Improve Mental Health Care. Mental illness affects approximately one in five American families. The National Alliance on Mental Illness estimates that untreated mental illnesses cost the U.S. more than $100 billion per year. As president, Obama will support mental health parity so that coverage for serious mental illnesses are provided on the same terms and conditions as other illnesses and diseases.
Protect Our Children from Lead Poisoning. More than 430,000 American children have dangerously high levels of lead in their blood. Lead can cause irreversible brain damage, learning disabilities, behavioral problems, and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and death. As president, Obama will protect children from lead poisoning by requiring that child care facilities be lead-safe within five years.
Reduce Risks of Mercury Pollution. More than five million women of childbearing age have high levels of toxic mercury in their blood, and approximately 630,000 newborns are born at risk every year. Barack Obama has a plan to significantly reduce the amount of mercury that is deposited in oceans, lakes, and rivers, which in turn would reduce the amount of mercury in fish.
Support Americans with Autism. More than one million Americans have autism, a complex neurobiological condition that has a range of impacts on thinking, feeling, language, and the ability to relate to others. As diagnostic criteria broaden and awareness increases, more cases of autism have been recognized across the country. Barack Obama believes that we can do more to help autistic Americans and their families understand and live with autism. He has been a strong supporter of more than $1 billion in federal funding for autism research on the root causes and treatments, and he believes that we should increase funding for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act to truly ensure that no child is left behind.

More than anything, autism remains a profound mystery with a broad spectrum of effects on autistic individuals, their families, loved ones, the community, and education and health care systems. Obama believes that the government and our communities should work together to provide a helping hand to autistic individuals and their families.
Barack Obama's Record

Health Insurance: In 2003, Barack Obama sponsored and passed legislation that expanded health care coverage to 70,000 kids and 84,000 adults. In the U.S. Senate, Obama cosponsored the Healthy Kids Act of 2007 and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) Reauthorization Act of 2007 to ensure that more American children have affordable health care coverage.
Women's Health: Obama worked to pass a number of laws in Illinois and Washington to improve the health of women. His accomplishments include creating a task force on cervical cancer, providing greater access to breast and cervical cancer screenings, and helping improve prenatal and premature birth services.

Read More: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/HealthCareFullPlan.pdf]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,90,91#msg-91</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:43:32 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Politics] Presidential Issues: Health Care</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,90,90#msg-90</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[McCain: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ba2f1c-c03f-4ac2-8cd5-5cf2edb527cf.htm

A &quot;Call to Action&quot; 

John McCain believes we can and must provide access to health care for every American. He has proposed a comprehensive vision for achieving that. For too long, our nation's leaders have talked about reforming health care. Now is the time to act.

Americans Are Worried About Health Care Costs. The problems with health care are well known: it is too expensive and 47 million people living in the United States lack health insurance. 

John McCain's Vision for Health Care Reform 

John McCain Believes The Key To Health Care Reform Is To Restore Control To The Patients Themselves. We want a system of health care in which everyone can afford and acquire the treatment and preventative care they need. Health care should be available to all and not limited by where you work or how much you make. Families should be in charge of their health care dollars and have more control over care.

Making Health Insurance Innovative, Portable and Affordable

John McCain Will Reform Health Care Making It Easier For Individuals And Families To Obtain Insurance. An important part of his plan is to use competition to improve the quality of health insurance with greater variety to match people's needs, lower prices, and portability. Families should be able to purchase health insurance nationwide, across state lines.

John McCain Will Reform The Tax Code To Offer More Choices Beyond Employer-Based Health Insurance Coverage. While still having the option of employer-based coverage, every family will receive a direct refundable tax credit - effectively cash - of $2,500 for individuals and $5,000 for families to offset the cost of insurance. Families will be able to choose the insurance provider that suits them best and the money would be sent directly to the insurance provider. Those obtaining innovative insurance that costs less than the credit can deposit the remainder in expanded Health Savings Accounts.

John McCain Proposes Making Insurance More Portable. Americans need insurance that follows them from job to job. They want insurance that is still there if they retire early and does not change if they take a few years off to raise the kids.

John McCain Will Encourage And Expand The Benefits Of Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) For Families. When families are informed about medical choices, they are more capable of making their own decisions and often decide against unnecessary options. Health Savings Accounts take an important step in the direction of putting families in charge of what they pay for.

A Specific Plan of Action: Ensuring Care for Higher Risk Patients 

John McCain's Plan Cares For The Traditionally Uninsurable. John McCain understands that those without prior group coverage and those with pre-existing conditions have the most difficulty on the individual market, and we need to make sure they get the high-quality coverage they need.

John McCain Will Work With States To Establish A Guaranteed Access Plan. As President, John McCain will work with governors to develop a best practice model that states can follow - a Guaranteed Access Plan or GAP - that would reflect the best experience of the states to ensure these patients have access to health coverage. One approach would establish a nonprofit corporation that would contract with insurers to cover patients who have been denied insurance and could join with other state plans to enlarge pools and lower overhead costs. There would be reasonable limits on premiums, and assistance would be available for Americans below a certain income level.

John McCain Will Promote Proper Incentives. John McCain will work with Congress, the governors, and industry to make sure this approach is funded adequately and has the right incentives to reduce costs such as disease management, individual case management, and health and wellness programs.

A Specific Plan of Action: Lowering Health Care Costs

John McCain Proposes A Number Of Initiatives That Can Lower Health Care Costs. If we act today, we can lower health care costs for families through common-sense initiatives. Within a decade, health spending will comprise twenty percent of our economy. This is taking an increasing toll on America's families and small businesses. Even Senators Clinton and Obama recognize the pressure skyrocketing health costs place on small business when they exempt small businesses from their employer mandate plans.

CHEAPER DRUGS: Lowering Drug Prices. John McCain will look to bring greater competition to our drug markets through safe re-importation of drugs and faster introduction of generic drugs.

CHRONIC DISEASE: Providing Quality, Cheaper Care For Chronic Disease. Chronic conditions account for three-quarters of the nation's annual health care bill. By emphasizing prevention, early intervention, healthy habits, new treatment models, new public health infrastructure and the use of information technology, we can reduce health care costs. We should dedicate more federal research to caring and curing chronic disease.

COORDINATED CARE: Promoting Coordinated Care. Coordinated care - with providers collaborating to produce the best health care - offers better outcomes at lower cost. We should pay a single bill for high-quality disease care which will make every single provider accountable and responsive to the patients' needs. 

GREATER ACCESS AND CONVENIENCE: Expanding Access To Health Care. Families place a high value on quickly getting simple care. Government should promote greater access through walk-in clinics in retail outlets.

INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY: Greater Use Of Information Technology To Reduce Costs. We should promote the rapid deployment of 21st century information systems and technology that allows doctors to practice across state lines.

MEDICAID AND MEDICARE: Reforming The Payment System To Cut Costs. We must reform the payment systems in Medicaid and Medicare to compensate providers for diagnosis, prevention and care coordination. Medicaid and Medicare should not pay for preventable medical errors or mismanagement.

SMOKING: Promoting The Availability Of Smoking Cessation Programs. Most smokers would love to quit but find it hard to do so. Working with business and insurance companies to promote availability, we can improve lives and reduce chronic disease through smoking cessation programs.

STATE FLEXIBILITY: Encouraging States To Lower Costs. States should have the flexibility to experiment with alternative forms of access, coordinated payments per episode covered under Medicaid, use of private insurance in Medicaid, alternative insurance policies and different licensing schemes for providers.

TORT REFORM: Passing Medical Liability Reform. We must pass medical liability reform that eliminates lawsuits directed at doctors who follow clinical guidelines and adhere to safety protocols. Every patient should have access to legal remedies in cases of bad medical practice but that should not be an invitation to endless, frivolous lawsuits.

TRANSPARENCY: Bringing Transparency To Health Care Costs. We must make public more information on treatment options and doctor records, and require transparency regarding medical outcomes, quality of care, costs and prices. We must also facilitate the development of national standards for measuring and recording treatments and outcomes.

Confronting the Long-Term Challenge 

John McCain Will Develop A Strategy For Meeting The Challenge Of A Population Needing Greater Long-Term Care. There have been a variety of state-based experiments such as Cash and Counseling or The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE) that are pioneering approaches for delivering care to people in a home setting. Seniors are given a monthly stipend which they can use to hire workers and purchase care-related services and goods. They can get help managing their care by designating representatives, such as relatives or friends, to help make decisions. It also offers counseling and bookkeeping services to assist consumers in handling their programmatic responsibilities.

Setting the Record Straight: Covering Those With Pre-Existing Conditions

MYTH: Some Claim That Under John McCain's Plan, Those With Pre-Existing Conditions Would Be Denied Insurance.

FACT: John McCain Supported The Health Insurance Portability And Accountability Act In 1996 That Took The Important Step Of Providing Some Protection Against Exclusion Of Pre-Existing Conditions. 

FACT: Nothing In John McCain's Plan Changes The Fact That If You Are Employed And Insured You Will Build Protection Against The Cost Of Any Pre-Existing Condition.

FACT: As President, John McCain Would Work With Governors To Find The Solutions Necessary To Ensure Those With Pre-Existing Conditions Are Able To Easily Access Care. 

Combating Autism in America 

John McCain is very concerned about the rising incidence of autism among America's children and has continually supported research into its causes and treatment. Click here to learn more: http://www.johnmccain.com/content/?guid=24dc9c37-e739-4aa3-8a88-ebae650a2f11.]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,90,90#msg-90</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:42:28 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Politics] Presidential Candidate websites</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,89,89#msg-89</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Republican - John McCain:
Plans and stances for the major issues: http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/

Democratic - Barack Obama:
Blueprint for Change: http://www.barackobama.com/pdf/ObamaBlueprintForChange.pdf
Detailed plans for each issue: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/

Libertarian – Bob Barr:
Plans and stances for the major issues: http://www.bobbarr2008.com/issues/

Green – candidate undecided:
Candidates: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Green_Party_(United_States)#2008_Presidential_Election
10 Key Values: http://www.gp.org/tenkey.shtml 
Platform: http://www.gp.org/platform/2004/2004platform.pdf

Constitution Party – Chuck Baldwin
Platform: http://www.constitutionparty.com/party_platform.php

Socialist Party USA – Brian Moore
Platform: http://socialistparty-usa.org/platform/

Independent Candidate – Ralph Nader
12 Issues that Matter - http://www.votenader.org/issues/

Independent Candidate – Alan Keyes
Stance on Issues - http://www.americasrevival.com/issues.php

Undeclared Independent Candidate – Ron Paul
Stance on Issues - http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues/]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,89,89#msg-89</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 24 Jun 2008 10:40:24 -0400</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Iraq</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,84,86#msg-86</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Now, my personal take:

My only (and slight) issue with Obama's stance is that it does not say specifically that we will not send troops back if we need to. I do, however, believe him to be intelligent enough to have this in mind - I just wish he had that specifically in there. I don't know the cost of redeployment vs. keeping troops there, but I can't help but think that it's less to redeploy, though - so overall I personally find this strategy to be better for continually growing and excessive cost of our entrenchment in Iraq.

I have much larger issues with McCain's stance. For one, he seems dead set on continuing with the idea that Al-Qaeda has a strong presence in Iraq, even though this is in direct opposition to the findings of the CIA and defense department(http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2004/oct/07/usa.iraq1 and http://irrationallyinformed.com//pdfcollection/20040729_Kerr_Report.pdf). I find this ironic when coupled with his stance &quot;to level with the american people&quot;.

McCain also ignores the military strain points that Obama points to - something that has been often talked about as troops have not had the necessary supplies at many times during our 5+ years in Iraq.

I also worry that McCain's plan carries the same fault that Obama's may - but it pushes the point of this happening years from now instead of giving the Iraq government and chance now and then re-evaluate if necessary.]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,84,86#msg-86</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:48:23 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Re: Presidential Issues: Iraq</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,84,85#msg-85</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[And now Obama:

http://www.barackobama.com/issues/iraq/

The Problem
The Surge: The goal of the surge was to create space for Iraq's political leaders to reach an agreement to end Iraq's civil war. At great cost, our troops have helped reduce violence in some areas of Iraq, but even those reductions do not get us below the unsustainable levels of violence of mid-2006. Moreover, Iraq's political leaders have made no progress in resolving the political differences at the heart of their civil war.

Military Strain: The military is being severely strained by repeated and lengthy deployments. The Army and Marine Corps are facing a crisis as 40 percent of their equipment is either in Iraq or being repaired. This crisis has led many of our generals to conclude that current demands make our forces unable to rapidly respond to the contingencies we may face in the future.

Barack Obama's Plan
Judgment You Can Trust
As a candidate for the United States Senate in 2002, Obama put his political career on the line to oppose going to war in Iraq, and warned of “an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs, and undetermined consequences.” Obama has been a consistent, principled and vocal opponent of the war in Iraq.

In 2003 and 2004, he spoke out against the war on the campaign trail; 
In 2005, he called for a phased withdrawal of our troops; 
In 2006, he called for a timetable to remove our troops, a political solution within Iraq, and aggressive diplomacy with all of Iraq’s neighbors; 
In January 2007, he introduced legislation in the Senate to remove all of our combat troops from Iraq by March 2008. 
In September 2007, he laid out a detailed plan for how he will end the war as president. 
Bringing Our Troops Home
Obama will immediately begin to remove our troops from Iraq. He will remove one to two combat brigades each month, and have all of our combat brigades out of Iraq within 16 months. Obama will make it clear that we will not build any permanent bases in Iraq. He will keep some troops in Iraq to protect our embassy and diplomats; if al Qaeda attempts to build a base within Iraq, he will keep troops in Iraq or elsewhere in the region to carry out targeted strikes on al Qaeda.

Press Iraq’s Leaders to Reconcile
The best way to press Iraq’s leaders to take responsibility for their future is to make it clear that we are leaving. As we remove our troops, Obama will engage representatives from all levels of Iraqi society – in and out of government – to seek a new accord on Iraq’s Constitution and governance. The United Nations will play a central role in this convention, which should not adjourn until a new national accord is reached addressing tough questions like federalism and oil revenue-sharing.

Regional Diplomacy
Obama will launch the most aggressive diplomatic effort in recent American history to reach a new compact on the stability of Iraq and the Middle East. This effort will include all of Iraq’s neighbors — including Iran and Syria. This compact will aim to secure Iraq’s borders; keep neighboring countries from meddling inside Iraq; isolate al Qaeda; support reconciliation among Iraq’s sectarian groups; and provide financial support for Iraq’s reconstruction.

Humanitarian Initiative
Obama believes that America has a moral and security responsibility to confront Iraq’s humanitarian crisis — two million Iraqis are refugees; two million more are displaced inside their own country. Obama will form an international working group to address this crisis. He will provide at least $2 billion to expand services to Iraqi refugees in neighboring countries, and ensure that Iraqis inside their own country can find a safe-haven. 

Barack Obama's Record
Barack Obama opposed the war in Iraq from the beginning. In 2002, as the conventional thinking in Washington lined up for war, Obama had the judgment and courage to speak out against the war. He said the war would lead to &quot;an occupation of undetermined length, with undetermined costs and undetermined consequences.&quot; In January 2007, Obama introduced legislation to responsibly end the war in Iraq, with a phased withdrawal of troops engaged in combat operations. 
Obama has a plan to immediately begin withdrawing our troops engaged in combat operations at a pace of one or two brigades every month, to be completed by the end of next year. He would call for a new constitutional convention in Iraq, convened with the United Nations, which would not adjourn until Iraq's leaders reach a new accord on reconciliation. He would use presidential leadership to surge our diplomacy with all of the nations of the region on behalf of a new regional security compact. And he would take immediate steps to confront the ongoing humanitarian disaster in Iraq. 
For More Information about Barack's Plan
Read the Plan
Read the Speech

More info: http://www.barackobama.com/issues/pdf/IraqFactSheet.pdf]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,84,85#msg-85</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:43:07 -0400</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>[Politics] Presidential Issues: Iraq</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,84,84#msg-84</link>
      <author>bkeck01</author>
      <description><![CDATA[McCain's platform first:

http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/fdeb03a7-30b0-4ece-8e34-4c7ea83f11d8.htm
Strategy for Victory in Iraq 

The Importance of Succeeding 

John McCain believes it is strategically and morally essential for the United States to support the Government of Iraq to become capable of governing itself and safeguarding its people. He strongly disagrees with those who advocate withdrawing American troops before that has occurred.

It would be a grave mistake to leave before Al Qaeda in Iraq is defeated and before a competent, trained, and capable Iraqi security force is in place and operating effectively. We must help the Government of Iraq battle those who provoke sectarian tensions and promote a civil war that could destabilize the Middle East. Iraq must not become a failed state, a haven for terrorists, or a pawn of Iran. These likely consequences of America's failure in Iraq almost certainly would either require us to return or draw us into a wider and far costlier war.

The best way to secure long-term peace and security is to establish a stable, prosperous, and democratic state in Iraq that poses no threat to its neighbors and contributes to the defeat of terrorists. When Iraqi forces can safeguard their own country, American troops can return home.

Support the Successful Counterinsurgency Strategy 

John McCain has been a leading advocate of the “surge” and the counterinsurgency strategy carried out by General David Petraeus. At the end of 2006, four years of a badly conceived military strategy that concentrated American troops on large bases brought us near to the point of no return. Sectarian violence in Iraq was spiraling out of control. Al Qaeda in Iraq was on the offensive. Entire provinces were under extremists’ control and were deemed all but lost. At that critical moment, John McCain supported sending reinforcements to Iraq to implement a classic counterinsurgency strategy of securing the population. 

That strategy has paid off. From June 2007 through March 2008, sectarian and ethnic violence in Iraq was reduced by 90 percent. Civilian deaths and deaths of coalition forces fell by 70 percent. This has opened the way for a return to something that approaches normal political and economic life for the average Iraqi. Political reconciliation is occurring across Iraq at the local and provincial grassroots level. Sunni and Shi'a chased from their homes by terrorist and sectarian violence are returning. The &quot;Sons of Iraq&quot; and Awakening movements, where former Sunni insurgents have now joined in the fight against Al Qaeda, continue to grow.

Those gains would be lost if we were to follow the policy advocated by Senator Barack Obama to withdraw most of our troops and leave behind only a small “strike force” to battle terrorists. That is, in essence, the same strategy of withdrawing from Iraq’s streets that failed in 2006. John McCain advocates continuing the successful counterinsurgency strategy that began in 2007.

Push for Political Reconciliation and Good Government 

Thanks to the success of the surge, Iraq's political order is evolving in positive and hopeful ways. Four out of the six laws cited as benchmarks by the U.S. have been passed by the Iraqi legislature. A law on amnesty and a law rolling back some of the harsher restrictions against former employees of the Iraqi government have made it possible for Iraqis to move toward genuine reconciliation. The legislature has devolved greater power to local and provincial authorities, where much of the real work of rebuilding Iraq is taking place.

More progress is necessary. The government must improve its ability to serve all Iraqis. A key test for the Iraqi government will be finding jobs in the security services and the civilian sector for the “Sons of Iraq” who have risked so much to battle terrorists.

Iraq will conduct two landmark elections in the near future – one for provincial governments in late 2008 and the other for the national government in 2009. John McCain believes we should welcome a larger United Nations role in supporting the elections. The key condition for successful elections is for American troops to continue to work with brave Iraqis to allow the voting to take place in relative freedom and security. Iraqis need to know that the U.S. will not abandon them, but will continue to press their politicians to show the necessary leadership to help develop their country.

Get Iraq's Economy Back on its Feet 

John McCain believes that economic progress is essential to sustaining security gains in Iraq. Markets that were once silent and deserted have come back to life in many areas, but high unemployment rates continue to fuel criminal and insurgent violence. To move young men away from the attractions of well-funded extremists, we need a vibrant, growing Iraqi economy. The Iraqi government can jump-start this process by using a portion of its budget surplus to employ Iraqis in infrastructure projects and in restoring basic services.

The international community should bolster proven microfinance programs to spur local-level entrepreneurship throughout the country. Iraq's Arab neighbors, in particular, should promote regional stability by directly investing the fruits of their oil exports in Iraq. As these efforts begin to take hold in Iraq, the private sector, as always, will create the jobs and propel the growth that will end reliance on outside aid. Iraq’s government needs support to better deliver basic services—clean water, garbage collection, abundant electricity, and, above all, a basic level of security—that create a climate where the Iraqi economy creation can flourish.

Call for International Pressure on Syria and Iran 

Syria and Iran have aided and abetted the violence in Iraq for too long. Syria has refused to crack down on Iraqi insurgents and foreign terrorists operating within its territory. Iran has been providing the most extreme and violent Shia militias with training, weapons, and technology that kill American and Iraqi troops. American military spokesmen have also said there is evidence that Iran has provided aid to Sunni insurgents.

The answer is not unconditional dialogues with these two dictatorships from a position of weakness. The answer is for the international community to apply real pressure to Syria and Iran to change their behavior. The United States must also bolster its regional military posture to make clear to Iran our determination to protect our forces and deter Iranian intervention.

Level with the American People 

John McCain believes it is essential to be honest with the American people about the opportunities and risks that lie ahead. The American people deserve the truth from their leaders. They deserve a candid assessment of the progress made in the last year, of the serious difficulties that remain, and of the grave consequences of a reckless and irresponsible withdrawal. 

Many Americans have given their lives so that America does not suffer the worst consequences of failure in Iraq. Doing the right thing in the heat of a political campaign is not always easy. But it is necessary.

John McCain on the Road Ahead 

“I do not want to keep our troops in Iraq a minute longer than necessary to secure our interests there. Our goal is an Iraq that can stand on its own as a democratic ally and a responsible force for peace in its neighborhood. Our goal is an Iraq that no longer needs American troops. And I believe we can achieve that goal, perhaps sooner than many imagine. But I do not believe that anyone should make promises as a candidate for President that they cannot keep if elected. To promise a withdrawal of our forces from Iraq, regardless of the calamitous consequences to the Iraqi people, our most vital interests, and the future of the Middle East, is the height of irresponsibility. It is a failure of leadership. “

“I know the pain war causes. I understand the frustration caused by our mistakes in this war. And I regret sincerely the additional sacrifices imposed on the brave Americans who defend us. But I also know the toll a lost war takes on an army and on our country's security. By giving General Petraeus and the men and women he has the honor to command the time and support necessary to succeed in Iraq we have before us a hard road. But it is the right road. It is necessary and just. Those who disregard the unmistakable progress we have made in the last year and the terrible consequences that would ensue were we to abandon our responsibilities in Iraq have chosen another road. It may appear to be the easier course of action, but it is a much more reckless one, and it does them no credit even if it gives them an advantage in the next election.” –John McCain]]></description>
      <category>Politics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?23,84,84#msg-84</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 16 Jun 2008 09:41:35 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Midwest Latino Arts Documentary Heritage Project] Tell us what you think</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?35,76,76#msg-76</link>
      <author>tgrimm</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Please let us know what you think... 

Thank you]]></description>
      <category>Midwest Latino Arts Documentary Heritage Project</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?35,76,76#msg-76</guid>
      <pubDate>Fri, 02 May 2008 14:11:06 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Community] Chavez Family Weavers (Oaxaca, Mexico)</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?10,64,64#msg-64</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[October 30, 2007- The Chavez Family Weavers from Teotitlán del Valle, a Zapotec community near Oaxaca, Mexico, visited the University of Notre. Famous for their handmade rugs, they demonstrated the art of natural wool dyeing, spinning, and weaving at the ILS Annex. Eric Chavez, the son of Frederico Chavez, gave a presentation on the process of how the handmade rugs transform from wool to works of art in accompaniment with a weaving demonstration by his father. The event was sponsored by the Institute for Latino Studies and the Snite Museum of Art. 

The Chavez Family Weavers have hand-crafted carpets for four generations, using methods developed by their ancestors. They use natural products from the land around them to weave traditional Zapotec patterns with wool from locally-raised animals and all-natural dyes - mesquite, cempazuchil (marigold), añil (indigo), and cochineal, the source fro brilliant shades of red. Zapotec designs have great cultural, social, and historical significance fro the people living in the Valley of Oaxaca. The Chavez family weaves ancient designs such as diamonds, copies of the carvings found at the nearby Mitla ruins, the Undulating Eye, the Tree of Life and many more.]]></description>
      <category>Community</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?10,64,64#msg-64</guid>
      <pubDate>Mon, 31 Mar 2008 09:44:00 -0400</pubDate>
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    <item>
      <title>[Community] Carnaval</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?10,63,63#msg-63</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[February 1, 2008- The Kellogg Institute’s Tenth Annual Brazilian Carnaval! took place at South Dining Hall on the University of Notre Dame campus. There was dancing, costumes and live samba music in a family-friendly environment.  Carnaval is a Brazilian celebration of Mardi Gras that featured the samba and axé music of Chicago Samba.  Chicago Samba, under the direction of Moacyr Marchini who has played in the Chicago area for more than 16 years, featured Brazilian musicians who have performed together for over eighteen years.  Professional Brazilian dancers performed and taught steps to a variety of traditional and popular Brazilian rhythms.

The event was cosponsored by the Department of Romance Languages and Literatures' Program in Portuguese &amp; Brazilian Studies, the Institute for Latino Studies, International Student Services and Activities, the Office of International Studies, the Brazil Club, the Portuguese Language Club, the Organización Latino Americana (OLA), and La Alianza.]]></description>
      <category>Community</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?10,63,63#msg-63</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:48:06 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Immigration] Opening the Floodgates: Why America Needs to Rethink its Borders and Immigration Laws</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?19,62,62#msg-62</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[March 26, 2008- Kevin R. Johnson, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs and Mabie-Apallas Professor of Public Interest Law and Chicana/o Studies at the University of California at Davis, discussed his newest book “Opening the Floodgates: Why America Needs to Rethink its Borders and Immigration Laws” at the University of Notre Dame. 

According to the NYU Press, “Open migration policies deserve fuller analysis, particularly on the eve of a presidential election. Kevin R. Johnson offered an alternative vision of how U.S. borders might be reconfigured, grounded in moral, economic, and policy arguments for open borders. Moreover, liberalizing migration through an open borders policy would recognize that the enforcement of closed borders cannot stifle the strong, perhaps irresistible, economic, social, and political pressures that fuel international migration.&quot; 

As the third lecture in the series, “A Public Policy Agenda and a New Vision for the Future,” it was sponsored by the Institute for Latino Studies and cosponsored by the Office of the Vice President for Research, the Graduate School, the College of Arts and Letters, the College of Science, the Kellogg Institute for International Studies, the Program in American Democracy, and the Hesburgh Program in Public Service.]]></description>
      <category>Immigration</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?19,62,62#msg-62</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:36:24 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Immigration] Final Roundtable of the Task Force on New Americans</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?19,61,61#msg-61</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[The Institute for Latino Studies has been asked to host the final roundtable discussion by the Task Force on New Americans. Created in June 2006 by President George W. Bush, the Task Force on New Americans is an inter-agency effort to help immigrants learn English, embrace the common core of American civic culture, and fully become American. The Task Force works to develop a more cooperative federal approach to assimilation, one of the five pillars of the President’s comprehensive immigration reform plan.

This event will convene representatives from foundations and philanthropic and civic organizations to discuss their engagement with immigrant communities in the United States. The series of roundtables started in February 2007 have been held across the United States to learn more about successful immigrant integration practices. The Task Force will present its findings and recommendations in a formal report to the President.]]></description>
      <category>Immigration</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?19,61,61#msg-61</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:25:16 -0400</pubDate>
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      <title>[Visual Arts] Caribbean Diasporas, Spring 2008 Film Series</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?27,60,60#msg-60</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[January 31, 2007-April 24, 2007 – Ongoing.  This film series explores the histories, transnationalist orientations, and practices of people from Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Jamaica, Martinique and Puerto Rico.

While the domination of capital and the displacement of people have long structured Caribbean life, intensified “development” during recent decades has spurred an unexpected human exodus toward North American and Europe.  Yet dispersal of up to 20% of some island populations has resulted neither in assimilation into host locations nor severed ties to the home.  Caribbean migrants have rather created forms of social relation that link together their societies of origin and settlement.  Their communities span multiple sites across nation-states, linked by constant comings and goings of messages, people, politicians, spirits, gifts, and money.

The films include:
•	Capital of Earth: Maroons of Moore Town – Jefferson Miller’s 1979 documentary film exploring Jamaicans’ historical consciousness of their seventeenth and eighteenth century maroon ancestors, the first black guerillas who successfully resisted colonialism and slavery.
•	La Rue Cases Négres: Sugar Cane Alley – Euzhan Palcy’s acclaimed 1995 film is a moving story about a boy who is born into the underclass of cane cutters in rural mid-twentieth century Martinique.
•	Legacy of the Spirits &amp; Haitian Song – Legacy of the Spirits is a 1985 film portrays Haitian immigrants’ religious practices in New York that inspire non-Haitians to join them.  Haitian Song is Karen Kramer’s 1982 ethnographic film that depicts an intimate portrait of life in a small Haitian village.
•	Africa Unite – Stephanie Black’s 2008 documentary about the 2005 Africa Unite concert in memory of Bob Marley that drew more than 300,000 people filmed in Ethiopia.
•	Balseros (Boat People) – Carlos Bosch’s 2002 film that traces what happened to a group of Cubans who risked their lives to reach Miami and attempted to start new lives there.
•	My American Girls – Aaron Matthews’ 2002 documentary film captures the joys and struggles over a year in the lives of the Ortiz family, first generation immigrants from the Dominican Republic.
•	Mi Puerto Rico – Sharon Simon’s 1997 documentary film about Puerto Rico’s history and colonization explored through one family’s legacy.]]></description>
      <category>Visual Arts</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?27,60,60#msg-60</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:22:25 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Literature] Chloe's Cabaret</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?22,59,59#msg-59</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Fall 2007– Chloe’s Cabaret showcased the winner and judge of the Andrés Montoya Poetry Prize.  A collaboration between the Institute for Latino Studies and the University of Notre Dame Press, this national prize supports the publication of the first book by a Latino or Latina poet.

Gabriel Gomez was the proud winner of this year’s Montoya Prize.  After being introduced by judge Valerie Martínez, winner of the Larry Levis Prize from the Academy of American Poets and author of “World to World,” Gomez read poems from his book “The Outer Bands” while the audience took in the ambiance of Chloe’s Cabaret with friends and future writers.  Both winners took time for a Question and Answer after the poetry readings.  More information about the poets can be found at their respective websites, http://gabegomez.com/ and http://valeriemartinez.net/.]]></description>
      <category>Literature</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?22,59,59#msg-59</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2008 16:00:36 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Immigration] Chavez Family Weavers (Oaxaca, Mexico)</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?19,58,58#msg-58</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[October 30, 2007- The Chavez Family Weavers from Teotitlán del Valle, a Zapotec community near Oaxaca, Mexico, visited the University of Notre.  Famous for their handmade rugs, they demonstrated the art of natural wool dyeing, spinning, and weaving at the ILS Annex.  Eric Chavez, the son of Frederico Chavez, gave a presentation on the process of how the handmade rugs transform from wool to works of art in accompaniment with a weaving demonstration by his father.  The event was sponsored by the Institute for Latino Studies and the Snite Museum of Art.

The Chavez Family Weavers have hand-crafted carpets for four generations, using methods developed by their ancestors.  They use natural products from the land around them to weave traditional Zapotec patterns with wool from locally-raised animals and all-natural dyes - mesquite, cempazuchil (marigold), añil (indigo), and cochineal, the source fro brilliant shades of red. Zapotec designs have great cultural, social, and historical significance fro the people living in the Valley of Oaxaca.  The Chavez family weaves ancient designs such as diamonds, copies of the carvings found at the nearby Mitla ruins, the Undulating Eye, the Tree of Life and many more.]]></description>
      <category>Immigration</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?19,58,58#msg-58</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:52:08 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Community] El Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) Celebration</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?10,57,57#msg-57</link>
      <author>tdavis11</author>
      <description><![CDATA[November 1, 2007 - The sixth annual Notre Dame observance of El Día de los Muertos took place at the Snite Museum of Art.  It is a Mexican tradition that honors the dead and celebrates the lives of those gone before us.  Over 250 guests participated in the event sponsored by the Institute for Latino Studies and the Snite Museum of Art.
  
   A variety of events kept the guests entertained.  Free Día de los Muertos T-shirts were given to those who arrived early and Notre Dame's Ballet Folklorico performed dances.  Ramiro Rodriguez presented a lecture about the ofreda (Day of the Dead altar) he created for the occasion.  A Frida Kahlo look-alike contest was held in honor of the 100th anniversary of the birth of this iconic Mexican artist.  Food was served in O'Shaughnessy hall while the Notre Dame Mariachi band provided serenading music.]]></description>
      <category>Community</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?10,57,57#msg-57</guid>
      <pubDate>Wed, 26 Mar 2008 15:40:03 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Midwest Latino Arts Documentary Heritage Project] Stories, Conversation, &amp; Comments</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?35,54,54#msg-54</link>
      <author>tgrimm</author>
      <description><![CDATA[Stories, Conversation, &amp; Comments

We invite you to share your personal experiences and knowledge of the people, exhibitions, and watershed events that have defined Latin American and Latino art in the Midwestern United States.  Also, we invite you to share your research interests in this area of study so that this forum may facilitate connections with other researchers working in this subject field.  We hope these conversations, along with our project, will foster new knowledge of this important aspect of American art history and the American experience.    Tell us what you think; we would love  to hear your comment about this project!]]></description>
      <category>Midwest Latino Arts Documentary Heritage Project</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?35,54,54#msg-54</guid>
      <pubDate>Tue, 25 Mar 2008 10:40:13 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Demographics] Latino Immigrant Incorporation</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?11,25,25#msg-25</link>
      <author>lmagnifi</author>
      <description><![CDATA[This proposal furthers research about the Chicago area Latino population and seeks to help with the Institute's work with policy makers in suburban municipalities.  The project will focus on the demographic, educational, social, and labor mobility issues of the incorporation of the Latino community in the Chicago metropolitan area.  Findings in the [i]State of Latino Chicago:  This is Home Now[/i] indicate that, for the first time, there are more Latinos in &quot;suburban&quot; Chicago than in the central city--and that an increasing proportion of these Latinos are Mexican immigrants.  To facilitate this ongoing research, the ILS will convene a [i]Latino Suburban Incorporation Roundtable[/i].  In addition, the Institute will continue to widely disseminate new research on the Latino community through a second [i]State of Latino Chicago[/i] that will focus on the development of a Latino index in order to measure the status of the Latino population over time.]]></description>
      <category>Demographics</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?11,25,25#msg-25</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:08:44 -0400</pubDate>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>[Chicago Area/Illinois] Latino Immigrant Incorporation</title>
      <link>http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?9,24,24#msg-24</link>
      <author>lmagnifi</author>
      <description><![CDATA[This proposal furthers research about the Chicago area Latino population and seeks to help with the Institute's work with policy makers in suburban municipalities.  The project will focus on the demographic, educational, social, and labor mobility issues of the incorporation of the Latino community in the Chicago metropolitan area.  Findings in the [i]State of Latino Chicago:  This is Home Now[/i] indicate that, for the first time, there are more Latinos in &quot;suburban&quot; Chicago than in the central city--and that an increasing proportion of these Latinos are Mexican immigrants.  To facilitate this ongoing research, the ILS will convene a [i]Latino Suburban Incorporation Roundtable[/i].  In addition, the Institute will continue to widely disseminate new research on the Latino community through a second [i]State of Latino Chicago[/i] that will focus on the development of a Latino index in order to measure the status of the Latino population over time.]]></description>
      <category>Chicago Area/Illinois</category>
      <guid isPermaLink="true">http://www.ilsred.com:8085/read.php?9,24,24#msg-24</guid>
      <pubDate>Thu, 14 Jun 2007 13:08:07 -0400</pubDate>
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